This health, safety and environment electronic update comes from Chip Dawson and the Rochester Business Alliance as a service to member organizations.

Looking for Arc Flash Videos?

We had a request from a member organization for a link to videos on arc flash available at no cost. For some great videos, start here and you'll find several links to some government tests and other arc flash material on YouTube and manufacturers sites.

Zombie Novella

CDC has a fun new way of teaching the importance of emergency preparedness. Their new graphic novel, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic" demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes. To access the Zombie series, click here.

ASSE Discusses Sustainability At Nov. 1 Meeting

A growing topic worldwide for safety and health folks is the issue of sustainability. If you're wondering "what's this all about?" the Genesee Valley Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers has the answer. Daryl Hill, Ph.D., immediate past president of the ASSE and the force behind the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability, will be in town Tuesday to address the subject with participants at the monthly meeting at the Radisson, 175 Jefferson Road. With networking and business 5 - 6 p.m., Dr. Hill will speak from 6 - 7 p.m. followed by dinner. The presentation is free of charge and open to anyone interested, ASSE member or not. For details and to sign up for dinner, call Alex Lantuh at 415-5437 or by e-mail at alexander.lantuh@kodak.com.

HiViz Rule Takes Full Effect Dec. 31

The Federal Register final rule and revised document of the 2009 Manual on Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) was released in late 2009. The date for final phase-in for compliance on all public roads that are not federal-aid highways is December 31, 2011. The rule states that all workers within the right-of-way of a federal-aid highway and public roads that are not federal-aid highways who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel. For more on high-visibility apparel and the regulation, click here.

Experts Challenge Use of WaterJel for Burns

Recommended by the manufacturer for treatment of burns, evidence suggests that if used on anything other than minor burns the jell will do more harm. The thinking is that the jell holds in the heat and aggravates the burn damage. We've received one report of two people badly burned by steam who used the jell. Medical personnel treating the two said that cooling water (as with a safety shower) would have helped them. They do not recommend the jell as a first treatment.

CDC Recommends "Drop! Cover! Hold On!" for Earthquake Protection

The earthquakes in our area tend to be a curiosity rather than life-threatening, but many people travel on business (and for pleasure), so it's worth sharing the latest from CDC that says in most situations, you will reduce your chance of injury from falling objects (and even building collapse) if you immediately Drop! Cover! And Hold On! For more on earthquakes and survival, click here.

OSHA Published Laboratory Hazards Educational Material

OSHA has been busy producing new educational materials covering laboratory safety for use by laboratory managers on protecting their workers from exposure to chemical, biological and physical hazards. The new materials include the Laboratory Safety Guidance document, which describes how electrical, fire, explosions and falls, among other hazards, can be minimized or eliminated if employers use safety plans, worker training, engineering controls and personal protective equipment. New laboratory safety materials also include fact sheets that each focus on a specific hazard related to laboratory environments. Practices and precautions to protect laboratory personnel include safety guidance for using autoclaves, use of chemical fume hoods, labeling and transferring chemicals, and latex exposure. To access the lab safety page, click here.

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Supervising for Safety On-Line Course

Peter Zavon, Senior Industrial Hygienist at Xerox, and a frequent contributor of good stuff, tells us that WorkSafe BC has created an eight-hour on-line safety course for supervisors. WorkSafe BC has a great reputation for excellent material. The program can take up to eight hours to complete, but students can pick and choose what they need. While the course is free, you must register with WorkSafe BC. Normally you don't have to be a BC resident to use their materials. If you do take the course, please let us know how it went. You can access it by clicking here.